Malden candidates push internships, life skills and career fairs to support post‑high‑school transitions

Candidates at the youth-led forum said the district should expand career-focused programming, internships and life-skills instruction to better prepare students for adulthood, whether or not they attend college.

Dawn Macklin said she has met with the superintendent about pathways for students and proposed hosting a career and college fair in Malden: "One of the things that I would love to do, during my next term, if I'm elected, is for Malden to host a career and college fair." Macklin said earlier exposure — beginning around ninth grade — could help more students identify postsecondary options.

Keith Bernard and Mike Grummy described internship programs and vocation-oriented experiences that helped them and others. Bernard urged resilience and practical supports: "If something knocked you down, get back up. To have courage, to have confidence in yourselves, to be able to go and look at a problem and figure out how do I get myself out of this." Grummy recalled an internship program while he attended Malden High and said restoring similar opportunities would assist students in moving into careers.

Kimberly Gillette recommended bringing back practical classes that some schools have cut for budgetary reasons, including home economics and life-skills courses, and suggested lessons on money management and credit scores: "I'm a big proponent of the job fairs, college fairs, career fairs right in the school, but I would love to see real life skills classes that can help a student with credit score and money management."

No new programs were adopted during the forum; candidates described proposals and priorities they would pursue through the school committee and with district staff if elected.